Wednesday 14 November 2018

Perchance

Perchance is another one of those words my dictionary claims poets are allowed to use whenever they like, but the rest of us should limit to historical works.

It means perhaps, maybe, by chance, or by any chance. For example, 'would you care to buy my book, perchance?'

Hmm, perchance my dictionary is right – it does sound very dated, doesn't it?

4 comments:

liz young said...

Perchance to dream - we can all do that!

Susan A Eames said...

Yes, I'm afraid I have to agree - it's not a word we can comfortably use today.

Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

Country folk here in the South use it to mean, by-chance

The word I see yall use is whilst (non-American English speakers). Cracks me up. Sounds like something Dickens would use.

(just thinking out loud)

Patsy said...

@ Lizzie – We can and we should!

@ Susan – Ah well, I suspect we're gaining more words than we're losing.

@ Mac – I use 'whilst' although I have been told that it's old fashioned.